✅ SOLVED Bullet id #4

[ncsuwolf]

Found a little west of Richmond va. Assuming it’s either a very large pistol bullet or a small carbine. Could not find it in M&M. Any help is greatly appreciated. .473-75” dia, .737” length, wt 214.6 grains.

 

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[Bucket Lister]

I've got one very similar, but no cigar.
Mine is ~9/16" diameter, ~13/16" long, but same basic shape and ring pattern.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

You bullet is an unfired civil war Colt "New Model" bullet for .44 revolvers.

 

[ncsuwolf]

You bullet is an unfired civil war Colt "New Model" bullet for .44 revolvers.

Thank you. I know better than to question your opinion (I’m not) but .473? Is that patina plus breech loading? Asking for my knowledge. Also, union, csa or both?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Yes, your excavated 160-year-old bullet has at least .01-inch (or more) of lead-oxide patina built up on its sides.

According to the Thomas-&-Thomas book ("A Handbook of Civil War Bullets & Cartridges, the bullet when fresh-from the mold measured .455" in diameter. Add one hundredth-of-an-inch of lead-oxide patina, and you're pretty close to your bullet's diameter.

The .455 bullet was loaded into the revolver's cylinder, whose tunnel was manufactured a bit larger than the pistol's .440 bore. Note that the bullet's base does not have an expansion-cavity, so the gunmaker relied on firing-blast to force the "oversized" bullet into the bore's rifling-grooves. Fired Colt .44 bullets often show beautifully sharp rifling-groove marks. I hope that explanation is clear enough to be sufficient.

Don't be fearful or embarrassed to ask such questions. It's how most of us learned what we know... because often the question isn't asked in any book -- or, readily-available book.

For anybody here who doesn't already own "The Handbook of Civil War Bullets & Cartridges":

The New Bullet And Shell.com

Regards,
Pete

 

[Gare]

NICE going